Noticing Love: An Experiment
Today, I am determined to notice love. The sun comes up bright and full each morning to keep us warm.
Tag: empathy
Columnist
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Mallory Evans is a third-year medical student at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Rochester, Michigan. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in cellular and molecular biology and a minor in German. When not studying, you can find her running many miles on woodland trails, perfecting a black bean burger recipe, or saying answers to Jeopardy! out loud at the TV. One day she hopes to pursue a career in internal medicine and pediatrics and travel to at least one place on every continent.
This is Water
This is Water is an attempt at documenting intentional living. This column will strive to highlight the extraordinary meaning of the often unnoticed, and to greet the hard and joyful parts of the medical school experience with gratitude (even when, especially when, we don't feel like it).
Relapsing-Remitting Vignettes: Learning About Multiple Sclerosis
One of the most impactful influences on my decision to become a doctor was meeting a patient with multiple sclerosis (MS). I was 19 years old and a hospital volunteer in Michigan. As I was replacing gloves, gowns and towels in my department, I entered the room of an elderly Eastern-European woman.
This Space
This is a space / between you and me / where you can simply be
Communication
On my first day volunteering in the hospital, my task is to observe Steven, a more experienced volunteer, as he visits with patients. We begin by meeting Amanda, the first patient on our list.
Applying an Energetics Argument to Our Lives
My eyes ran across the same paragraph for the fifth — or maybe even sixth — time in the span of 15 minutes. Though I was giving my undivided attention to the paragraph, I could not move past it; I was at a complete loss for how to convey my next point.
The “Difficult Patient”
They asked me how that encounter had gone, and I could feel my cheeks turn bright red. I was embarrassed that I was not able to connect with my patient.
If Mary Oliver Were a Medical Student
Recently I have let myself consider how wonderful of a physician Mary Oliver would have been, and how wonderful a medical school classmate.
Looking in the Mirror: Confessions from Inpatient Psych
Through my patient’s same wants and needs, I saw my own thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, fears and my own desire to be liked, to be wanted, to be needed. I felt, for the first time in a very long time, a genuine human connection.
Why is Bedside Manner Important?
Even though providers often must jump for one room to the next, it is important that they take the time to learn about each patient’s individual needs.
Compassion in Medicine: Looking Beyond the Patient’s Illness
While there is no way to choose our patients’ outcomes, we can certainly choose to be empathetic and compassionate regardless of their outcomes. Medicine without empathy and compassion is not medicine at all.
On Forgetting and Remembering
As I sat on the table in the exam room, I quietly smiled to myself at the irony: I had been on the other side of the room the entire year, and, yet, here I was again, back to assuming the role of a patient.
Heart to Heart: Empathy in Medicine
Ever since that day in the grocery store, I have volunteered at least once a month for other senior citizens. I get to know their stories and try to share the understanding that I have gained with the world.
Pre-Medical Guest Writer
University of Pittsburgh
Kartik Iyer is a pre-medical student at the University of Pittsburgh where he is earning a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and a Bachelor of Arts in English writing. He actively researches the neuronal basis of drug-craving relapse as well as potential treatment. Also, he volunteers extensively with Foodlifeline and has already delivered 5,000 meals to his local neighbors. Because he achieved the USA Biology Olympiad Top 20 in the nation and a perfect SAT score, he offers USA Biology Olympiad and SAT paid tutoring classes. In his free time, Kartik enjoys writing and contributing to his writing group. He also occasionally explores the city's new cuisines with his friends. In the future, he would like to pursue a career in medicine, specifically in radiology.